Pocket lighter



J. HOLT ZMAN POCKET LIGHTER Jan. 14, 1930.

Filed Oct. 1. 1928 RNEY Fatented .5. 1%, i936 JOHN HOLTZMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB F ONE-HALF T0 OTTO MUNK, 03'

NEW YORK, N. Y.

POCH'I LIGHTER Application filed October 1, 19518. Serial No. 809,421

My invention relates to a pocket cigar or,

cigarette lighter of the type in which sparks are struck from a pyrophoric element and projected to a flame supporting wick.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact arrangement of the parts of the mechanism so that the lighter may be made small and neat in appearance, preferably in simulation of a watch. 7

A further object is to provide an absolute safeguard against unintentional ignition, as when the lighter is carried in the pocket. A still further object is to so co-relate the parts of the operating mechanism, that but a minimum number of elements is used to achieve highly efiicient results.

The invention consists of the instrumentalities and combinations thereof hereinafter more fully described, and claimed and illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the device in position for-use; Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical section and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

As above indicated, the lighter is preferably intended to simulate a watch in appearance, and to that end the casing which contains the essential parts of the device is round and substantially flat Traversing the interior of the casing diagonally is a curved partition 11 to provide the adjacent compartments'12 and 13. The compartment 12 serves for the reception of absorbent material 14:, usually cotton, to which liquid fuel is supplied through an opening 15 closable by a plug 16'. Y

Rigidly held in the annular wall of the casing 10 is a sleeve 17 serving as a guide for a depressible stem 18 which, to complete the simulation of a watch, is headed by the knob 19 and carries the ring 20. The stem is reciprocable in the compartment 13.

The interior of the casing 10 is diagonally traversed by a tube 21 for the reception of the pyrophoric element 22. What may be termed the lower end of the tube 21 terminates in the casing wall 10 at the compartment 12; this lower end is open and internally threaded to receive a threaded plug 23 acting on a spring 24 within tube 21 and presslng against the under face of the pyrophoric element 22. The tube 21 passes through the partition 11 and its upper end which lies in chamber 13 is bifurcated to form arms 21 and 21 which serve as bearings for a stud shaft 25. Rigid upon the shaft 25 is a comparatively small ratchet wheel 26 and a large friction wheel 27 to rub against the pyrophoric element 22 and strike sparks there from.

The lower end of stem 18 engages the normally horizontal arm 28 of a bell crank lever, the normally vertical arm 29 of which has pivoted to its lower end at 30, a ratchet arm or segment 31, the teeth of which coact with ratchet wheel 26. The bell crank lever 2829 is fulcrumed within casing 10 at 32. To return bell crank lever 2829 and stem 18 to initial position after each operation, I provide a coilspring 33, one end of which bears against lever arm 28 and the other end of which is supported on a shelf 34 held by partition 11 and tube 21.

A segment 35 of casing 10 is movable, as b being mounted on pivot 36. The segment is in proximity to the spark producing means. Rigid with the wall of the segment adjacent the pivot 36 is an arm 37 the outer end of which is forked to provide tines 38 to straddle The operation of the device is as follows: By pressure upon head 19 the stem 18 is depressed, forcing downwardly the bifurcated arm 37 and thus rocking segment 35 about the pivot 36 to elevate the segment from the rest of casing 10. The depression of stem 18 also oscillates bell crank lever 2829 about its fulcrum 32 causing ratchet arm 31 to turn ratchet 26 and therewith friction wheel 27 which, by rubbing against pyrophoric element 22, causes the evolution of sparks which pass to wick 41 and ignite the fuel with which the wick is saturated. The relation of parts is such that segment 35 opens just before spark generation commences. As long as pressure on stem 18 is maintained, the seg ment 35 remains open and the flames continues at the upper end of wick 41, but the moment the stem 18 is released, spring 33 extends thus raising the stem and by means of the arm 37, coacting with the pin 39 closing segment 35. The bell crank is also oscillated back to initial position, carrying ratchet arm '31 along, but no rotation of ratchet .wheel (and hence no spark evolution) is effected during the return movement of bell crank 2829. As segment 35 closes the tube 42 comes down over the top of the wick tube 40 and quenches the flame. It is, of course, understood that a cigar or cigarette may be lighted while the segment 35 is raised and a flame shows at the end of wick 4:1. Pressure of the pyrophoric element 22 against the friction wheel 27 may be adjusted by turning plug 23 and a new pyrophoric element may be inserted in the tube 21 by removing the plug 23 and spring 24.

It will be understood that the ratchet arm 31 is held to its work by a spring 31*.

I claim:

1. A pocket lighter, comprising a casing, a portion of which is movable in relation to the rest of the casing, spark generating and flame sustaining means within the casing, a spring supported reclprocable stem having atransversely projecting pin, a rigid member projecting from the movable part of the casing and having a yoke shaped free end to embrace said pin connecting the movable part of the casing to move the latter upon movement of the stem, and pivotal connections between the stem and the spark generating means to actuate the latter upon movement of the stem.

2. A pocket lighter, comprising a casing having a hinged section, a spring supported stem having a radially projecting pin adjacent one end depressible in the casing, spark generating and flame sustaining means in the casing and exposed in the space left by the hinged section in open position, a rigid mem-; her having a yoke shaped end embracing the pin and connecting the stem with the hinged section of the casing, and a bell crank for imparting movement of the stem to the spark generating means.

casing, and a crank connection between the stem and the spark generating means. I

4. A pocket lighter, comprising a casmg having a pivotally supported segment at its periphery, a diametrically disposed partition within the casing dividing the latter into a first and second compartment, said second compartment adapted to receive absorbent material, a spring supported stem reciprocable in said first compartment and having a radial projection, spark generating and flame sustaining means in said first compartment, bell crank lever means actuatable by depression of the stem to operate said spark generating means and a rigid projection for the segment having a yoke-shaped end to embrace the projection of the stem 'to move the segment upon movement of the stem.

5. A pocket lighter comprising a casing, a wick mounted in said casing, an abrading wheel for generating sparks to light said wick revolably supported in said casing, a cap member for covering said wick pivotally mounted on said casing with the axis of the pivot spaced apart from the axis of said abrading wheel, a spring-pressed finger piece mounted on the top of said casing and partially extending inside of the casing, a slot and pin connection between said finger piece and said cap member, a segmental rack having a ratchet connection with said abrading wheel and adapted to rotate said wheel in one direction only upon the application of manual pressure upon said finger piece, said rack normally arranged to be enclosed within said casing and exposed outside of said casing when in operative state to actuate the Wheel and light the wick.

6. A pocket lighter comprising a casing, an integral partition within the casing dividing the latter into first and second compartments, said second compartment adapted to receive combustible material, a wick .proj ecting above the top of said partition, an abrading wheel for generating sparks to light the Wick revolvably supported in said first compartment, a capping member arranged to cover both the wheel and wick and having depending sides substantially flush with said casing, pivotally mounted in said first compartment with the axis of its pivot spaced from the axis of said abrading wheel, a spring pressed finger piece reciprocated 'in said first compartment and having a slidable connection with said capping member, a rack having a ratchet connection with said abrading wheel and adapted to rotate said wheel in one direction only upon the application of manual pressure on said finger-piece, mounted also in said first compartment, said rack, wheel and wick arranged normally to be covered by said capping member and partially exposed when in operative state to actuate the wheel and light the wick.

,In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN HOLTZMAN. 

